1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a child carrier wherein the child is carried proximate an adult's torso area and wherein the child holder doubles as a personal flotation device.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Child carriers, wherein the child is held within a carrier that is attached to a harness worn by an adult such that the child is carried proximate the adult's torso region, are used and loved by millions of moms and dads. These devices allow the caregiver to be able to hold the child using the caregiver's body to support the child instead of predominately the arms and shoulders. These carriers hold the child securely and in a pressing relation with the adult while allowing the adult to have arms and hands free for other activities such as shopping or attending to other chores such as banking. If a child is simply being carried, then when the adult desires to perform an act such as cashing a check, the adult must either place the child on the ground and struggle to make sure that the child does not run off or otherwise get into trouble (as children are famous for), or, if the child is too small, the adult must awkwardly fumble around with one hand while holding the child with the other. This is not only uncomfortable and time-consuming, but gives the caregiver a lessened sense of security in the hold on the child. Additionally, some functions require the use of both hands to perform, which functions the adult must forego should the child need to be constantly held.
The present day child carriers, which come in a variety of styles, give the caregiver both security in the knowledge that the child is being securely held and freedom to do activities that would be difficult, if not impossible, if the child were simply being free carried. These devices also give the caregiver a more intimate interaction with the child then can be experienced if the child is carried in a stroller or other walker.
Many modern child carriers have features that facilitate the device's immersion in water so that the caregiver can take the child into a body of water such as a swimming pool or the ocean while maintaining secure contact with the child. Such features include the use of waterproof materials and meshing to release any water that may accumulate between the device and either the adult or the child. By giving the carriers the ability to be used effectively in water, the adult can swim or otherwise interact with the child in a manner that is not possible if the adult needs to use her arms to support the child in the water. While such water friendly features give the adult and child enhanced freedoms in a body of water, room exists to give even more water borne freedom and versatility within a body of water.
Therefore, the exists a need in the art for a child carrier wherein the child is held within the carrier and carried about by an adult that dons a harness, which child carrier not only gives the adult maximum freedom in carrying the child about, but also allows the device to be used in a body of water and that gives maximum flexibility and versatility to both child and adult while using the device in the body of water. Ideally, such a child carrier must be of relatively simple design and construction and be easy to use and maintain.